Bad Friends High
by Atella Stella
Summary: World Academy is a place for brilliant or talented international students. Its most popular "princes", the Bad Friends Trio, rule the school. Details a year of unrequited crushes, suppressed feelings, and good ol' high school drama for our Bad Friends.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi guys! *hasn't written in forever* ;;;;**

**Well, guess what I decided? I'm going to write a high school AU fic! 8D *SHOT***

**For Hetalia! 8D *SHOT IN THE FACE* DX Okay, Okay, I get it, it's overdone!**

**I'm going to try to make the AU as NOT annoying as possible, okay? Just tell me if it's getting annoying and I'll try to improve!**

**Featuring chiefly… THE BAD FRIENDS TRIO! To prove to my delusional Turkish friend once and for all that the Bad Friends are just as sexy as the Fail Bros! Take it away, Antonio~!**

**Spain: Mikai doesn't own Hetalia, obviously. Because if she did I would get a lot more screen-time.**

**Mikai: Yeah, you… And dat ass. 3 Anyway, this will switch POV around A LOT. So be prepared, hahaha…**

~_You, Hey, You! Chase after it! Gehwer, und, Blut! Fa-ll, down, into Hellll~_*CLICK*

"Ugh… I don't want to get up yet…" Gilbert Beillschmidt buried his face in his pillow after slamming his hand down onto his alarm clock snooze button. So what if he was going to be a second year in high school today? He was awesome enough to sleep in on the first day…

His door slammed open, and he cracked open one eye to see his always serious and always punctual little brother scowling at him from the doorway.

"Bruder, it's six o'clock. Wake up." The blonde, blue-eyed boy said impatiently. Gilbert blinked his unsettlingly red eyes, then turned over in bed again.

"Five more minutes, Ludwig~…" he groaned. His brother frowned even more intensely, and turned from the doorway.

"Fine. If you want to make us late for our first day of school, then you don't get any pan-" Ludwig was suddenly pushed out of the doorway and into the wall as Gilbert sped past him. "…cakes. Ouch."

"Sorry, Ludwig! Don't come between the awesome me and my pancakes!" Gilbert threatened cheerfully from the bathroom. Ludwig just sighed and shook his head.

"Eh~? Romano has been avoiding you lately?" Francis Bonnefoy held a cellphone between his chin and shoulder as he tied his shiny golden locks in a ponytail with a black ribbon. He leaned forward to look into his vanity mirror and admire his own handsome face. "Merde~, how terrible!" he said coolly in his lilting French accent.

"_I know, Francis! I just don't know what to do if my cute little tomato of a roommate stops talking to me! Ay~, I think I'd die of heartache!_" the voice on the phone cried pitifully into Francis' ear in a very attractive Spanish accent, and he smirked.

"Ah, Antonio, please don't die! Let big brother heal you with l'amour~!" he said smoothly and chuckled, curling a stray blond curl around his finger.

"_F-Francis… You're always such a wonderful friend!_" exclaimed the very dense Spaniard on the other line. Francis hung his head, sweat-dropping in defeat.

"I guess I should have come to expect that… Ooh!" Francis' phone beeped to signal an incoming call. "Antonio hold on, si'l vous plait! Gilbert's calling!" He pushed the talk button. "Salut, mon ami!"

"_Hey, Bonnefoy. You awake?_" the all-too-familiarly rude greeting met him on the other line courtesy of his albino German friend.

"Why yes, I am! Isn't it six thirty? We have about an hour to get to school."

"_Aw, shit. And here I'm still in my underwear, stuffing my face with pancakes._" Gilbert swore from the other line. Francis' smile immediately lit up.

"Oh really? Mm, what color are they?"

"_Like hell I'm telling Francis Bonnefoy what color my awesome underwear is._" Gilbert replied wryly. Francis pouted.

"Ah, you and Antonio are no fun! I hope there are much more willing freshmen this year…"

"_Knowing you, you will have no trouble finding some guys and girls with yo-yo panties among the fresh meat. You always seem to weed 'em out._" Francis gave a proud laugh and tossed his hair.

"Oh, you flatter me, mon cher. But beyond that, perhaps you should get dressed? Antonio and I will be waiting for you once you're done, I'm sure."

"_Ja, danke. I'll be ready, don't worry._" With a click, Gilbert had hung up. Francis sighed and put the phone to his ear again.

"Antonio, we're walking with Gilbert today. I'll come by to pick you up." After one more impassioned Spanish exclamation about Romano, Antonio also hung up. Francis leaned back in his chair. A new year had begun, this time as an upperclassman. Another school year of his reign as one of the princes of the school, one of the famous Trio...

**Random Gilbert is random. XD;;; He's so awesome that he needed to have the first section of Chapter 1. Unfortunately, his POV doesn't show up again for a little while.**

** He and Francis are so easy to write for! Spain is a little harder, which is why I'm not focusing on him too much yet.**

**Next Chapter we get some AlfredxArthurxFrancis action going on! And, by the way, Arthur and Alfred are gonna be new students. Hoo boy, I am WAY in over my head. ;;;**

**If you would like, please review! I appreciate any feedback.**


	2. Chapter 2

**And in this chapter... ALFRED~! (And Arthur too, don't worry... ;-) )**

**Alfred: Mikai doesn't own Hetalia. Because if she did, I would be the subject of a Notosama game. And not in the "Hero" way like in Notosama 6. Like the "Prussia and Spain" way in Notosama 5.**

"Alfred, you idiot, why wouldn't you just get out of bed earlier?" Arthur Kirkland snapped as he walked briskly out of the front door of his dormitory and readjusted the black tie of his completely in dress code school uniform. His naturally spiky blonde hair, which he had given up slicking back at all, was the only thing about him that seemed out of place. Otherwise, he exuded the stifling atmosphere of an honors student.

"Aw, Arty, don't be like that! Who doesn't want to sleep in a little now and then?" Alfred Jones came hopping out after his grumpy roommate, pulling on a star-spangled pair of Converse and attempting to speak through a mouthful of half-burnt toast. His dirty blonde hair was purposefully styled messily, except one untamable piece in the middle of his head that Arthur affectionately *cough*right*cough* called his "idiot hair".

"You sleep in every bloody day! Now let's go!" Arthur snapped, turning around and grabbing his roommate by the ear.

"O-Ow, Arty! Stop!" Alfred whined, pouting, purposefully making his baby-blue eyes sparkle innocently. Arthur ignored him and began dragging him along. "I'm going to tell everybody at our new school what a bully you are!" Arthur let go of his ear as they reached a crosswalk and sighed, rolling emerald green eyes.

"Are you or are you not a first year in high school?"

"Uh… Yeah?"

"That's _yes_, Alfred." Arthur said impatiently. "If you would start acting your bloody age, perhaps I wouldn't have to 'bully' you, as you put it." Arthur crossed his arms and turned away from Alfred, whose glasses suddenly took on a mischievous shine.

"Artyyy, don't be mad at meee!" Alfred whimpered piteously. He then promptly placed his chin on Arthur's shoulder, much to the latter's embarrassment. "I don't like it when you're mad at meee…" he made a move to wrap his arms around Arthur's waist, to which the already beet red Brit responded by pushing him away and spluttering.

"Y-Y-You bloody idiot! What do you think you're doing, and in public? God, I can't deal with this in the morning! I'll go to school by myself!" Arthur was obviously unnerved, talking so fast his words stumbled over each other, and he spun on his heel to walk as quickly away from Alfred as possible. Without watching where he was going.

Which is how he ended up knocking over one Francis Bonnefoy going the opposite way.

"Aah! Aie…" Francis groaned in pain as he came to his senses, flat on his back on the concrete.

Francis was, he would have liked to believe, a very sharp person, but in the morning he was much less aware of his surroundings than he cared to admit.

He made a move to sit up when he felt a warm weight above him, and looked down in alarm to see a boy probably his age sprawled on top of him. The boy looked up at him with possibly the same amount of alarm, completely speechless.

At this point, Francis' train of thought should have led him to get up and ask if the boy was alright. Then again, he was Francis Bonnefoy, and as such not quite possessing such chivalrous character.

No, instead, Francis immediately became captivated by the boy's looks. His spiky blonde hair fell in a charming, jagged manner over his eyes at the moment, eyes which were a rather spectacular green. His eyebrows were a bit dark and thick, but in a way they made him inanely cute. He wore the same school uniform as Francis, and he wore it well. His cheeks were flaming red, blushing in embarrassment; the longer Francis stared, the redder, and cuter, the boy became.

Francis almost visibly smirked. That such a delightful little treat would literally fall in his lap on the first day of school was completely unprecedented.

"I-I'm so sorry!" the boy said, making a move to get up. Francis gently grabbed his hand and he froze.

"Do not apologize! That such an angel would fall upon me today…" Francis smoothly kissed the boy's hand. "I must truly be blessed." He winked charmingly at the boy, who was again bright red in the cheeks and looking at him in disbelief.

"P-P-P-Pardon?" the boy stammered.

"Won't the angel grace me with his name?" Francis whispered insistently into the boy's ear. He only squeaked in shock, and Francis chuckled. "Then I guess I will have to draw your name from your lips…" Francis had barely touched his lips to the boy's when he was promptly punched in the jaw. He yelped and let go of the boy's hand, and immediately the warm, comfortable weight above him vanished. When he looked up, he saw another boy, disheveled in a purposefully rebellious manner but also with his own charms, with a protective arm around his angel and a very scary glare directed at Francis.

"Arthur, let's go." The taller boy said, dragging Francis' disoriented angel away. The boy dared a glance back at the downed Frenchman, who waggled his fingers at him and smiled.

"We'll meet again, mon petit Arthur, I'm sure. Au revoir!" The boy quickly turned back around, and covered his face in shame.

Despite the pain in his jaw, Francis was starting to think his second year of high school may be interesting after all.

**Yes, yes Arthur didn't immediately kill France. Why? Very strong attraction, that's why! I smell a love triangle~! *SHOT* Okay, I get it, that's also overdone! 8T**

**Next chapter should focus in on Prussia again. And... hmm... If you guys could review and tell me; should Hungary be a new student or a childhood friend still? Le gasp, yes, I am shipping Prussia with a GIRL. Ew, heterosexuals. Unclean. XD *SHOT***

**If you want, please review! I love feedback!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Alright, so... those of you reading this? Everyone who reviewed and favorited and waited this long? I am so. SO sorry. Real life caught up to me and I had a half finished chapter 3 MONTHS ago, but I re-read it and thought "not good enough" so I rewrote it. And it STILL isn't very good. I'll be faster to update for Chappie 4, it's summertime after all.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Axis Powers Hetalia or any characters in it. Sad but true.**

"I'm going on ahead, Gilbert. I need to meet Feli and his brother." Ludwig said as he walked out of the front door, messenger bag in tow. He adjusted his glasses and looked back at his older brother. "Don't be late, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah… Run along and play with your cute little boyfriend. I'll see you later." Gilbert smirked, leaning on the doorframe and playing with his Iron Cross necklace. His silver hair was styled to spike out every whichway, and his uniform shirt was open to reveal a black t-shirt inscribed with "Viva Preußen". Ludwig's face went from confused to mortified to angry in seconds, at the same time hitting several degrees of the color red.

"H-He's not my… never mind, I don't have time for…" Ludwig didn't even finish his sentence before walking quickly around the corner. Gilbert chuckled and grabbed his bag, stopping to lock the door.

"I swear, if those two aren't here in one minute, I'm leaving without…"

"Hello." An unfamiliar voice issued from behind him, and he jumped, spinning around defensively. This revealed two girls standing a few feet from him, one cute, short one with brown skin, doe eyes, and red-bowed pigtails, the other one taller, with long brown hair, and green eyes, some really nice legs in that uniform skirt, and some pretty big…

Oh. He seemed to have lost his train of thought somewhere between "doe eyes" and "skirt".

"Er…" the brown-skinned girl spoke, and he realized it had been her voice that had startled him. "I hate to be a bother, but… I'm Giselle Kensington, and this is my friend Elizabeta Hedervary. We just moved into the school housing as roommates yesterday and we're a tad lost…"

"Ah, you want directions? No problem! Actually…" Gilbert quickly closed the gap of space between himself and the girls. "I was just waiting for my friends to swing by so we could all walk to school. Want to join us…?" he made a move to slide his arm over the pigtailed girl's shoulder…

And was immediately met with a frying pan to the face.

"OW! WHAT THE HELL, WHERE DID THAT…?" Gilbert clutched his nose in agony and looked up at his assailant.

The soft green eyes of the previously silent brown-haired girl were directed in an icy glare at the near-prone Gilbert, frying pan slipped discreetly back into her girly-looking messenger bag. "Once an asshole, always an asshole, Gilbert Beillschmidt. Keep your paws off Sesel; I won't have my roommate corrupted by the likes of you." Gilbert gaped at her thickly, before gathering himself and standing up straight again.

"Sorry, do I know you from somewhere? I'm sure I'd remember…"

"Don't try to be cute with me, you pig. I swear, I ought to pound in your smug fucking face…"

"Eli! That was not necessary! Apologize!" Sesel squeaked, at a loss to explain her roommate's strange behavior. Elizabeta immediately found her composure, her expression softening and her tone changing completely.

"Oh, sir, how clumsy of me! My hand slipped and a book simply flew out of my hands and into your face! I will make it up to you at a later date." She said, in a polite, calm, feminine way. "My name is _Eli_ Hedervary. Do you remember me?" she smiled far too sweetly, and it was creeping Gilbert out a bit. He tried his hardest to remember the name. _Hedervary… Ellie Hedervary? No, not Ellie, Eli, that's a boy's name… a boy? That boy!_

"You! Eli? What? But Eli was a…" Gilbert spluttered, a vague childhood memory floating through his head. Several in fact; not all of them were happy.

"Oh, that's right. You _did_ think I was a boy, didn't you?" Eli stood, one arm akimbo and twirling the cute floral decoration in her hair with one finger. "Well, surprise, surprise. I'm a woman. A woman who is, in fact, leaving. Let's go, Sesel. We can find the school on our own." She huffed, grabbing her beleaguered roommate and turning heel.

As they walked away, Gilbert gingerly touched the spot on his forehead where the pan had hit the hardest. His head swam a bit with the pounding pain, giving him time to file through old memories.

Eli Hedervary was a Hungarian diplomat's ten-year-old son (or so Gilbert had thought at the time). The first time they met was in the hallway outside of an international conference held in Germany. Eli was well-dressed, and proper, and so damn _goody-goody_ that it had pissed Gilbert off. So he picked a fight.

Eli had won hands down.

It was a regular curb stomp, with Eli even punching his nose bloody, though he had managed to give him a black eye in return. They were promptly separated by their respective fathers' child-watching staff. As the aforementioned staff wanted to keep their jobs, they bribed the children with leniency if they didn't tell their parents about the fight. Eli had flashed him a wide grin across the room that told him he was being granted the same boon.

After that, as little boys (again, so Gilbert had thought) do, Gilbert and Eli had become fast friends. They spent the entire week running wild around the conference building, the surrounding parks, half the long-suffering stores in the vicinity, and the like, playing games, play-fighting, and just overall having fun. After the week-long conference, Eli had to go, but after that, Gilbert remembered writing to him constantly, making plans to see him in the summer...

He shook his head, blinking slowly.

Why was she so mad at him now...?

He didn't think it was the blow from the frying pan, but for some reason his memories got really fuzzy right around that time. There was something missing, that he wasn't seeing, wasn't remembering, and it was driving him crazy...

Wait.

"I'm Gilbert Beillschmidt, damn it! I don't care about the opinion of some freaky cross-dressing chick, anyway!" Gilbert angrily tried to chastise himself for his sudden lapse into flashback. "She doesn't matter!" he muttered, somewhat unconvincingly.

"Gilbert!" another familiar voice called out from the front yard. He saw Francis Bonnefoy leaning gracefully against the mailbox, waggling his fingers at him in greeting.

"Where the hell have you been?" Gilbert snapped, thankful for the distraction as he bounded down the steps and toward the blonde, who narrowed his eyes indignantly.

"_I _have been trying to convince a certain Spaniard to stop trying to hang himself by his prized tomato vines." Francis snapped, jerking his head in indication of a trembling mass of Spanish man curled into a fetal position against the mailbox.

"Dios mio, you should have let me die..." The mass formerly known As Antonio Fernandez Carreido mumbled, racking with overdramatic, heartbreaking sobs. Francis and Gilbert gave each other knowing looks and rolled their eyes.

"Antonio, cher, I don't think that hanging yourself by tomato vine is particularly fatal." Francis crooned, crouching and patting Antonio on the head. Gilbert sighed.

"Toni, have you been drinking again? You know how you get the morning after you have one too many..."

"No! I-It's Romano! My little tomato! This morning, I asked him if he wanted to walk to school with me, a-and he said... he said..." Antonio finally brought his face out from between his knees for the full dramatic effect of his huge green eyes brimming with tears and well-tanned cheeks dusted with pink from his energetic grief. "... He said that he hates me and he will never, ever walk to school with meeee!" he wailed, putting his face into his hands and sobbing. Francis and Gilbert gave each other another look, nodded, and each grabbed one of Antonio's arms, pulling him up to a standing position in one move.

"Christ, Toni!" Gilbert barked. "Think about this for a second. He's your _housemate_. He _lives_ with you. You'll see him pretty much _every day_." Antonio sniffled, looking up at his friends with a tearful expression.

"I... I suppose that makes sense. But he said he hates...!"

"Cher, cher, cher; think about who you are. Who _we _are?" Francis said encouragingly, unbuttoning the first three buttons of Antonio's uniform shirt and smoothing down the fabric.

"We're World Academy's fucking _Princes_. We got that title by charming the pants off everyone in school for the past two years. Sometimes literally." Gilbert continued, bringing Antonio's silver crucifix necklace back around the chain to his collar bone, from whence it had been flung during his melodramatic breakdown.

"_Most _of the time literally, Gilbert." Francis quipped, curling a stray piece of Antonio's hair around his finger. "Listen, Antonio. We are the Princes of World Academy, and seduction is what we _do_. If you are serious about and want Lovino Romano Vargas, you will _have_ Lovino Romano Vargas; just give him some time to come around to wanting _you_. You've got a whole year."

Antonio was now beaming, and wiped the last of the tears from the corner of his eyes.

"Th-Thanks. I don't know what got into me."

"Ha. _I_ do. You're royally whipped by a kid you met, like, three days ago. Now, if it were _me_, I'd move on to some easier targets, or make out with Francis on the rebound..." Gilbert began sardonically before being elbowed in the gut by the aforementioned Frenchman. "OW!"

"As much as I appreciate the suggestion, I'm trying to _encourage_ him, Gilbert! Just because we don't see the _point_ of monogamy doesn't mean we can't at least support him!" Francis snapped. Antonio laughed and smoothed back his hair.

"I'm lucky to have you guys, you know." He said, throwing an arm around each of their shoulders.

"Yeah, yeah, we're all lucky to have each other. Now can we leave? We literally have like ten minutes to get to school." Gilbert said, checking his watch. Francis raised an eyebrow and looked at his cellphone.

"More like six, actually. So now would be a good time to start running."

**So yeah, I'm still working on Spain's characterization and all that. Still not quite satisfied, but I'll get better, I promise! Also, I've always liked to imagine the Bad Trio as friends who function as a family unit. Pretty much every group of friends in this story is. In this universe, none of the characters are particulary close to their parents (well duh, boarding school) and as a result they cling to each other in that way instead. I really hope this is an enjoyable read for you all! Again, thank you for your support and your readership, and I apologize for the monstrous wait! Next Chapter: We finally get to the "High" part of "Bad Friends High"! ... Er, that is, high school. Not drugs. I don't think that's going to be at play here. XD**


	4. Chapter 4

"This campus is _huge_!" Arthur exclaimed, looking around in awe. World Academy had a distinctly gothic style to its architecture, with long walls, huge windows and impossibly high ceilings. Every building looked like a super-size cathedral, and was a few stories tall, to boot. "I'm impressed! Although I guess, if the school can afford to have the whole surrounding neighborhood be student housing, I shouldn't be surprised."

"Mm." Alfred agreed half-heartedly, fuming silently beside him. Arthur turned and crossed his arms, scowling.

"What is your _problem_? You've been sulking like a ten-year-old ever since we ran into that boy..."

"You mean the would-be rapist? Yeah, I think I have a reason to be pissed off that some French pervert just tried to molest my best friend!" Alfred snapped, pouting unconsciously. Arthur stifled his laughter at the immature expression on his face. "Arty, it's not funny! You're a second year! I won't always be there to punch the fucker out!"

"Watch your language, Alfred." Arthur said exasperatedly, as a trembling trio of first years passing by jumped at the strong language and stared in fright. Arthur's expression softened and he grabbed Alfred's upper arm reassuringly. "I'm _fine_. And what are the chances that I'll run into him again at this school? There are at least two thousand students spread through the three years." Alfred became a little less tense and sighed, covering Arthur's hand with his own.

"I guess you're right. I'm just overreacting, maybe." The two shared a rare second of non-bickering, amiable silence, before it was broken by an ungodly noise.

It was very loud, and could only be described as:

"SQUEEEEEEE!" Alfred and Arthur jumped in alarm.

"What the bloody hell was _that_?" Arthur exclaimed, looking around for the source. Suddenly, someone popped up beside them from seemingly nowhere.

"Oh. My. GOD. Are you two a couple?"

"... What." Alfred and Arthur said simultaneously, too shocked for more words. The person who had asked them was a brown-haired girl with green eyes and a flower in her hair. She stood there and grinned with a smile that creeped _both_ of them out.

"My name's Elizabeta Hedervary. Call me Eli. Now answer the question; are you two a couple?"

"... A couple of what?" Alfred answered thickly, unable to process what she was asking. Arthur was feeling the same way. Eli rolled her eyes and started in again, slowly this time.

"You know, a _couple_. As in, _dating_. As in, are you or are you not..." she directed this part at Alfred. "Tapping _that_?"she indicated Arthur.

At this point, both boys were at a complete loss for words. It took them a few seconds to reboot before their matching sets of denial set in.

"N-No! Of course not! That's absurd! We're not..."

"I-It's nothing like that! We're just friends, we're not..."

"Aw, that's too bad! You'd be so cute together, too!" Eli sighed forlornly, having the nerve to look disappointed by their answer. Both blondes were now beet-red, and not looking at each other. "So anyway, Eli Hedervary, second year. You are?" she said cheerily, reaching out her hand to no one in particular. Arthur looked at her incredulously, but decided to take it.

"Arthur Kirkland, second year." Arthur said stiffly, shaking her hand.

"Ah, right, that British diplomat's son! Pleased to meet you! With some luck, we might be in the same class." She smiled at him, and he couldn't help but feel uneasy. "And you?" Eli said, reaching her hand toward Alfred next.

"... Alfred F. Jones. First year." He said, warily shaking her hand as well.

"Wow, a first year? But you're so tall! Especially compared to Arthur!" Eli giggled quietly as Arthur scowled at her. "Oh, no need to look at me like that, I'm only kidding. Mostly."

"I'll have you know that I am only two centimeters shorter-"

"Are you new to Academy too?" Alfred asked, stifling his own laughter to avoid incurring Arthur's wrath.

"I am! My friend Sesel and I... Oh." Eli looked like she just remembered something, and looked over Alfred's shoulder. "Sesel, you're too slow! Hurry up!" she called to a person running towards them from a distance.

"E-Eli! Don't run ahead of me like that!" Sesel shouted, pigtails streaming out behind her as she sprinted toward them. She came to a halt beside Eli and hunched over, completely out of breath.

"This is Giselle Kensington! She's a first year. Just call her Sesel. Sesel, this is Arthur, and this is Alfred."

"P-P-Pleased to meet you..." Sesel panted out. Alfred gave her a concerned look.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just needed to catch my breath, is all." She said finally, straightening up and fixing her uniform ribbon, which had flown askew during her sprint. "I have less stamina in Europe than I do at home, after all!"

"Sesel's been living with me in Hungary for a year to get used to Europe, but she hails from Seychelles. Very small island above Madagascar." Eli explained nonchalantly, clapping a hand on Sesel's shoulder.

"Seriously? That's so cool!" Alfred exclaimed in honest excitement. Arthur rolled his eyes, recognizing his friend's obsession with island cultures and exploration flaring up yet again.

"Well, like I was saying, we're also new to Academy. It's a very impressive campus." Eli said appreciatively. "Any idea where the assembly hall is, by the way? Because we have about three minutes to be there." She said, checking her watch.

"I think this is it, actually. I hope they didn't start early!" Arthur said, indicating the building in front of them and feeling foolish for having forgotten amidst the introductions.

"Excellent!" Eli grinned impishly and grabbed Arthur's hand. "Let's find seats together, okay?" she stated rather than asked, giggling and pulling him up the stairs.

"W-Wait just a second!" Arthur weakly protested as he was dragged along. Alfred stood with Sesel at the foot of the stairs.

"A-Ah... Is she always like this?" he asked, amazed at how fast Eli was moving with a protesting Arthur in tow.

"Oh, wait until lunch time. That is when the true horror begins." Sesel stated grimly. Alfred couldn't help but laugh a little as they started walking up the stairs at a much more leisurely pace.

"Does that mean we're eating lunch together, then?"

"Are you kidding? Eli isn't going to let you two out of her sight. Once she meets someone she likes, she's determined to get to know them better." Sesel laughed this time, and Alfred smiled uneasily.

"She seems very... outgoing." Alfred stated truthfully.

"I know you probably think that she's pushy and annoying, and crazy, and scary. And... she can be, actually, not going to lie." Sesel shrugged, but looked up after her friend with a soft smile. "But the truth is, she's one of those people that brings out the best in you, the longer you stay with her. And she's naturally attracted to people with that potential, as well." Alfred smiled at her.

"You love her a lot, I can tell."

"I could say the same for you and Arthur, Mr. Jones~." She said with a playful smirk. Alfred tripped on the step he was currently stepping upon, and began to splutter and turn red.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sesel broke down into uncontrollable giggles at his reaction.

"I don't know, what do you think it means? Come on, come on, we're down to two minutes!" Sesel said, laughing heartily as she pulled Alfred up by his arm and they raced up the stairs together.

**Hello hello~! Look, a breather chapter Stella submitted to show that she is writing feverishly, in which there is no Bad Touch! D: Shocking, I know. Don't worry, the boys will be back shortly. :3**

**Giselle Kensington is the fanon name that I came up with for Seychelles. I think it's rather cute, and convenient because her nickname can be "Sesel".**

**So yeah, if anyone was wondering why the heck the students live in houses by themselves instead of dorms, the school owns the entire neighborhood surrounding it. So in a way, it's like its own little town! They even have a business district somewhere, with little shops and places to eat~! **


	5. Chapter 5

"So many people... how the hell do we get through this crowd?" Alfred exclaimed, staring in disbelief at the large crowd of students milling about the assembly hall hallway. The doors to the auditorium had yet to open, and the building was aflutter with activity.

"What a nightmare..." Arthur said, narrowly avoiding being knocked over by some students goofing around and running past him.

"So much for worrying about them starting early, I guess!" Eli said sheepishly, crossing her arms. Sesel nodded in agreement.

Suddenly, a commotion broke out near the door from whence they had come.

"It's them! It's them, it's them, it's them, it's them! I get to see them for the first time! I-It's like a fairy tale!" a first year girl squealed, pushing past them and running toward the door.

"Them who?" Arthur asked to no one in particular, as he stood on his toes to see the door.

"It's the Princes, the Princes! The Bad Friends Trio, our school royalty!" a second year boy explained briefly, before racing for the door. Alfred slung his bag over one shoulder and snorted.

"What's the big deal about three guys walking in? What a lame reason for such a fuss, right Arty?" Alfred waited for a response, but none came. "A-Arthur?" Alfred said in alarm, leaning in and waving a hand in front of Arthur's face. Arthur was staring in shock at the three boys who had just walked through the door. Well, one in particular.

"Oh, my my, look at the crowd today!" Francis said cheerfully, winking at a few of his third year fans who were a bit farther ahead, causing them to melt into giggles.

"It's even more troublesome coming back to all this... they're so clingy..." Gilbert sighed forlornly, though he flashed a charming smile at a couple of girls who greeted him anyway.

Francis rolled his eyes and pouted. "Honestly, such a punk! You do not have a romantic bone in your body, Gilbert."

"Well, I think it's a lot of fun to be welcomed back like this! Although, I feel bad that I have so many fans..." Antonio said, waving at some of his own small following, who said good morning and then went on their merry, red-faced way.

Francis scanned the crowd, not really focusing on anyone or looking for anything in particular, when suddenly he zeroed in on a certain blond British boy.

"No way... No way! I think I may be on a lucky streak today!" Francis exclaimed delightedly, prodding Gilbert in the ribs. "Look, it's my angel from this morning!"

"Hm? Where?" Gilbert said, and followed Francis' finger. "Ah! Well then, go work your magic, Herr Lover." He quipped, laughing and shoving Francis in the general direction of Arthur.

"I'll catch up with you two in a few minutes!" he waved and began weaving his way through the crowd.

_What. The bloody hell. _Arthur thought rather bitterly, pursing his lips. _Do I have the worst luck on the face of this earth? Well, maybe not, because he hasn't seen me ye..._ Arthur noted that the Frenchman was definitely coming towards him. _... Bollocks. How is this my life...?_

"Well, if it isn't my angel from this morning! Arthur, it seems that we have a pleasant habit of finding each other!" the Frenchman said, stopping in front of him.

"... Right. Um... Sorry, who are you?" Arthur inquired, deciding on the spot that the best course of action to take in this situation was to be somewhat civil.

"Ah, how very rude of me! My name is Francis Bonnefoy. Second year." Francis held out his hand with a dazzling smile.

"Arthur Kirkland. Er, same." Arthur awkwardly shook it, and realized in alarm that Francis was maintaining a firm grip on his hand.

"Listen, I'm sorry about this morning. I did something quite rash, I think I may have hit my head and been disoriented or something after our little spill..." Francis said easily.

Arthur let out a sigh of relief. _Well, if that's all it was, then I've got no reason to be so tense..._

"I-It's quite alright! I'm sorry that I knocked you over like that!"

"No, no, the fault is mine!" Francis waved it off, before leaning in a little closer and lowering his voice to a sultry tone. "How about I make it up to you? Maybe we can go out some time...?"

"Wh-What? I...!"

"It's the least I could do for causing you so much trouble! Besides, I would definitely like to get to know you better, Arthur." Francis was tracing circles over the top of Arthur's hand with his thumb, causing the Brit's breath to hitch slightly.

"W-Well, I suppose I could...!"

"Heeeeey, Arthur! Who's this?" Alfred had suddenly slung an arm around one of Arthur's shoulders and placed his chin squarely on the other.

"Ah, Alfred, this is Francis..."

"Hm, really? That sure is a stupid name!" Alfred laughed, but it definitely did not reach his eyes, which were set in a pointed glare at the Frenchman.

"I'm sorry, did I do something to upset you? I was merely trying to make conversation." Francis said pleasantly, crossing his arms.

"Upset? Nah, I'm not upset. I just think that you should move along before I decide to kick your ass. For real, this time, not just a punch in the jaw."

"Alfred! Don't be rude!" Arthur said, shocked at Alfred's behavior.

"... This is better than a shonen-ai manga!" Eli squealed quietly, discreetly taking out a camcorder. Sesel sighed and put her hand to her forehead.

"Arthur, this is the guy who nearly molested you this morning! You can't seriously be totally okay with chatting him up now!" Alfred snapped.

"That was just a misunderstanding! That's what we were just talking about..."

"Are you serious, Arthur? How naive can you get?" Alfred seemed to be getting angrier by the second, when Francis let out a derisive laugh.

"Tell me, Alfred; are you Arthur's boyfriend?"

"Wh-What? No, I..."

"Then are you his brother?"

"N-No, but..."

"Then I don't see that it's any of your business who he chooses to speak to." Francis said coldly. Alfred froze, genuinely shocked into silence. "Isn't Arthur tired of having someone like you follow him around, anyway? Overprotective, pushy, idiotic... I can't imagine why he'd put up with... Aie!" A messenger bag had somehow found its way to the side of Francis' face, and he reeled to the side, thrown off balance by the blow.

"Don't you dare speak to Alfred that way! He may act like a spoiled child, but his heart's in the right place!" Arthur snapped, slinging his messenger bag over his shoulder again. "Hmph. It's as I thought before. You're just a slimy, perverted frog after all." Francis, clutching his cheek in pain, stared at him in complete shock.

"I... ah, I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me! My intentions are pure, I assure you, Arthur...!"

"Ah, ah, ah! Not going to work, frog! So sorry, but it seems your spell is broken. Good day." Arthur said with a smirk, grabbing Alfred's hand and dragging him away. "Let's go, Eli, Sesel."

"Wait up, Arthur! Eli, put that camcorder away! Have you no shame?" Sesel said, grabbing Eli by the wrist and pulling her after the retreating boys.

"_Attention, Students of World Academy! The doors to the auditorium will open in just a couple seconds! Please find a seat as soon as possible~!_" A cheery male voice with a heavy Italian accent chimed in over the intercom, as Arthur dissapeared into the throng of students that flowed toward the open doors.

"... So, how'd it go?" Gilbert asked as Francis dropped heavily into his seat beside him in the auditorium. "Did you make progress with your angel?"

"Oh, come on, it's Francis! When has he ever failed to seduce anyone?" Antonio giggled.

"No. I... I crashed and burned." Francis said, staring into space in disbelief.

"What?" Gilbert and Antonio leaned forward in their seats, jaws dropping.

"Totally rejected! He's definitely no angel. He might be a demon! I think my cheek is going to bruise..." Francis said, turning to look at them. Despite his words, he was smiling like an idiot.

"If you were totally rejected, then what's with that dopey look on your face?"

"Because... the way I was rejected, it was definitely a challenge!" Francis said, a glint appearing in his eye.

"... What." Gilbert said flatly.

"That flirty way he said 'your spell is broken'! There's no way he doesn't like me! I just need to unlock that, somehow..." Francis seemed to be formulating plans as he was speaking, much to Gilbert's chagrin. "You know, I think I like him even more now than I did before! His resistance is a little sexy..."

"You can _not_ be serious." Gilbert groaned, putting his palm to his forehead.

"That's great! You found someone fun to play with this year!" Antonio exclaimed in delight. "Well, then! Do your best!"

"Mein _Gott_, ich bin von idioten umgeben..." Gilbert muttered darkly, leaning back in his chair and propping his feet up on the seat in front of him. "What is _wrong_ with you two? No one is worth that much effort..." He proclaimed loudly.

And he did not steal a glance at a certain flower-bedecked Hungarian girl.

Or go slightly pink in the cheeks.

And he definitely hadn't been watching her since he'd seen her in the hallway, damn it.

...

This was going to be a long-ass year.

**Hello Hello for the second time today~! Aren't I a fast updater? -waits for cookie-**

**I promised the return of the Bad "_" Trio, and so here they are! **

**Francis got totally rejected, and yet he's even more interested. Arthur better watch his back... or his behind, so to speak. XD**

**Alfred's crush on Arthur is so obvious, and yet neither of them realize it. They're a couple of idiots, seriously.**

**If you're wondering, what Gilbert says at the end there is "My God, I am surrounded by idiots". I... _think_ that I translated it right... ^7^;;; Way to continue being a punk, Gilbert. Rock on.**

**As always, I do not own Hetalia. I just play with the characters for a bit before setting them gently back on Himaruya's shelf.**

**Thank you everyone for your support! I always look forward to reading your reviews, so please feel free to do so!**


	6. Chapter 6

**I don't own Hetalia. If I did, it would be a massive failure because its creator would keep abandoning it for silly reasons. I'm sorry. ;;;;**

The auditorium was _huge_, and Arthur wasn't quite sure that even the large number of students here could fill every seat. They did their best, though, as there was much pushing and scrabbling over who sat where. Arthur was pretty sure Eli had brandished a frying pan(!) several times to get them to where they were now, in the fifth row back in front of the stage and podium. In front of them sat two almost identical boys, one dour and constantly scowling with dark red hair and a ridiculous curl, the other smiling and bubbly with bright red hair and a _more _ridiculous curl. The latter was clinging securely to the arm of another boy, tall, blonde and serious-looking as he adjusted his glasses and read his book as though he were used to it.

_I can sympathize, my good man._ Arthur thought while glancing at Alfred, who was heavily distracted by an animated conversation he was having with Sesel about her home country. He then quickly scanned the crowd for signs of any perverted frogs or their perverted prince friends, and gave a sigh of relief when he didn't see any. All appearances aside, he was dreadfully embarrassed about his outburst. The frog had deserved it, but…

"AAAAIEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-!" Arthur suddenly screamed and jumped as a puff of warm air was blown into his ear. He covered his mouth and turned to glare at Alfred, who was grinning impishly. "Why the _hell_…"

"You were looking all distant and junk. I hate it when you do that, you look like an empty shell or something. It's so creepy!" Alfred whined, poking Arthur's cheek. Arthur just scowled.

"Wow, what are you, five? '_It's so creeeeeepy~!_' Ugh!" Arthur crossed his arms and copied Alfred's American accent almost perfectly, causing the bespectacled boy to scowl at him.

"I'm just trying to make sure you're alright! You don't have to go all 'Oh, I'm a stuffy British gentleman and I look down upon you, peasant!' on me!" he growled, butting his forehead against Arthur's. Arthur winced in pain and pushed back with a sharp glare.

"Alfred F. Jones, I am allowed to daydream a little if I damn well please, and I don't appreciate you mothering me into…."

"Will you two stop bickering like a married couple and pay attention? It's starting!" Sesel said excitedly, punching Alfred in the arm. The two immediately straightened up and looked straight forward, turning red. Eli quickly stuffed something away in her bag that looked very much like a camcorder coincidentally pointed in their direction. A cheery man with a suspiciously familiar face popped up behind the podium.

"Buon giorno, my adorable students! I am the Superintendent of this wonderful school, Augustus Vargas, and I am here to welcome you to World Academy!" there were some rowdy cheers from some older students, as he put his hand in the air and waved at them. "Yes, yes, hello again. Now, in this assembly I am supposed to go over the student handbook, some rules, et cetera, et cetera, ad nauseum, you know." The students collectively groaned, and Superintendent Vargas pouted. "Aaw, don't be like that! Hey, I don't want to do it either, so let's just toss the handbook for now and talk about something else!" He nonchalantly took the thick, valuable-looking book and tossed it over his shoulder.

"Oh, _no_, not again…" the scowling one of the red-headed siblings in front of them shook his head, sinking in his seat.

"For instance, my cute, adorable, sweet, wonderful little grandson Feliciano Vargas is starting his first year at World Academy today! Wave hello, Feliciano~!" the Superintendent called out over the crowd. The bubbly one of the siblings shot his hand up and waved, and most of the upperclassmen began applauding.

"Grandson? He doesn't look older than thirty!" Arthur whispered to Alfred, who nodded.

"That's just… _weird_."

"Nonno, I want pasta for lunch! Can we have pasta for lunch~?" Feliciano called out. The blonde boy beside him literally slammed his book into his own face in shame.

"Of course, my little bambino! Oh, and next to him is my equally cute, adorable, sweet, wonderful but slightly bigger grandson Romano Lovino Vargas, who will be starting his second year today~!"

"Why do I get my full name called out?! Nonno, get back to the presentation!" Romano snapped back.

"I LOVE YOU, ROMANO!" A passionate voice called out over the crowd, and Romano turned several different shades of red.

"SHUT _UP_, ANTONIO!" He screamed, before realizing what he just did and burying his face in his hands. Half the room was snickering slightly and a faint struggle could be seen close by as Gilbert and Francis attempted to restrain their flailing friend.

"Antonio, please, calm yourself!" Francis called, pulling Antonio back by his collar. Gilbert had him around the waist as they struggled to pull him back into his seat.

"B-But I want to hug him ~!" Antonio sobbed, clawing at the air in front of him as he was restrained.

"Damn it, Toni, sit down!" Gilbert finally managed to pin him to his chair. "You can chase him all you want later!"

As their argument continued, Francis found Arthur in the crowd and shrugged, smiling. Arthur rolled his eyes and brought his attention back to the front.

"Well that was interesting! It reminds me of this one time when Alric and I went out drinking and- ACK!" Suddenly, something very heavy and (presumably) made of metal made contact with the Superintendent's head, and he fell to the floor. A tall, stern-looking man with shoulder-length blonde hair briskly walked up to the stage.

"Since the Superintendent has suddenly fallen ill, I will take over. I am your principal, Alric Beillschmidt, and I am here to talk about the rules of World Academy." He glared out over the audience, as though daring a single student to boo the notion of regulation. He gently placed the gigantic rule book, which he had retrieved somehow unnoticed, back upon the podium, opening it to the first section. "Section One: Behavior. Rule One: There will be no extreme violence of any kind tolerated on this campus…"

"Grandfather, you just threw a _paperweight_ at Mr. Vargas's _head_…" the blonde boy in front of Arthur muttered, slumping slightly in his seat. Alfred stifled a laugh.

"He's a grandpa too? How old could these two possibly be?" he said, a little too loud. Feliciano heard him and turned in his seat with a smile.

"Nonno won't tell me how old he is. He insists he's simply eternal, like Latin. Although I'm pretty sure that's a dead language." He said airily. The blonde boy next to him took notice and also turned around.

"I'm pretty sure I would be put through rigorous military training if I even tried to ask my grandfather his age. It's a mystery." He smiled slightly, looking way friendlier than he had initially appeared. "I am Ludwig Beillschmidt, first year. Nice to meet you."

"Uh, Alfred Jones, same. Shouldn't we be… I dunno, paying attention to your grandpa…?" Alfred said sheepishly. Feliciano giggled, waving a hand nonchalantly in the air.

"Oh, don't worry! We all have student handbooks back in our houses and no one's paying attention anyway." He said cheerfully. "As you know, I'm Feliciano, but you can call me Feli if you'd like, I answer to both. Ludwig here is my best friend to end all best friends. And this is my brother Romano. Say hi, Romano!"

"Leave me alone, you insufferably cheery bastardo." Romano said, playing a game on his phone to pass the time. Ludwig sighed and he and Feli shared a look.

"Right, that's close enough!" Feliciano chimed, before leaning in closer to Alfred and whispering. "He's in a bad mood today because his roommate is in love with him and he doesn't know what to do about it."

"… Veneziano, I can _hear_ you. You are _less than two feet away from me_." Romano snapped, glaring. Feliciano put up his hands in an innocent shrug, as his brother went back to angrily tapping at his phone.

"… So what are the names of your beautiful friends here?" Feliciano smiled and indicated Alfred's seatmates.

"Oh, sorry, I'm Giselle Kensington, first year! Just call me Sesel!"

"Elizabeta Hedervary, second year. Call me Eli!" Eli said. "I remember you, Ludwig. I visited your house quite a few times when we were small."

"… Ach, of course! The Hungarian ambassador's daughter!" Ludwig said, smiling. "It's good to see you again!"

"I think you visited my house a lot too, Eli!" Feliciano said thoughtfully, tightening his near constant grip on Ludwig's arm and nestling closer. "It's cold in here, Ludwig! Why is it always so cold?" Ludwig sighed and gave him the look of a long-suffering parent.

"I don't know, Feli. Come here, then, and stop complaining." Ludwig extended his hand slightly. Feli practically burrowed into the space made beneath his arm.

"Yay!"

Eli began shifting in her seat slightly as though she wanted to say something. There was a moment of silence before she finally blurted it out.

"So you two are just friends, then?"

Ludwig and Feliciano looked at each other, blinked, and looked back at her.

"Um… Ja. We're friends. Why?" Ludwig asked nervously, looking slightly flushed.

"Oh, nothing, nothing, you just seem very close!"

"Of course we're very close, I love Ludwig! We've been friends since we were little, and he's always protected me! He saved me from drowning once, and from getting lost in the woods, and from getting eaten by a wolf, and from getting kidnapped, and he was my first kiss, and he always buys me food, and he gives me piggy back rides when I get tired, and he… MMMFF!" Feliciano was cut off by Ludwig slapping his hand over his mouth hurriedly.

"Wait, what was that middle part!?" Eli inquired suspiciously.

"_Nothing_! There was no middle part! Ahahahaha…" Ludwig laughed unconvincingly. Feliciano mumbled something through Ludwig's fingers and Ludwig answered in a whisper. Whatever he said calmed Feli down considerably, and he stopped trying to talk. Eli looked like she was about to explode, even as Ludwig removed his hand.

"This is my best friend Arthur Kirkland. He's a second year." Alfred said, prodding Arthur slightly. His attention seemed to be elsewhere. "He seems to be spacing out right now. Earth to Arty! Wake up!" he laughed, gripping Arthur's shoulder and shaking him slightly. Arthur started, hiding his left hand and hurriedly turning toward the conversation.

"S-Sorry. It's nice to meet you." He said with a nod, slightly flushed in embarrassment.

"Hmm, two out of four being first years isn't bad at all! Here's hoping we're in the same class. Of course if we're not I can always ask Nonno to move things around for us." Feliciano chortled, waving his hand in the air. Ludwig scowled at him as he adjusted his glasses.

"Feli, how many times do I have to tell you not to screw with people's schedules just because you feel like it? That's an abuse of power!" he said, tugging on Feliciano's odd curl in annoyance.

"Hey, don't touch my brother, you damned potato-eater!" Romano interjected, slapping Ludwig's hands away. How he had seen or heard anything while he was so absorbed in his phone was beyond comprehension. Feliciano frowned at his brother.

"Be nice to Ludwig, Romano!" he chastised, before turning back to the German boy with a smile. "I must've forgotten what you told me before! Sorry!" Romano rolled his eyes and turned back to the front, not even acknowledging any of the others.

"I swear, Feli, you are going to be the death of me..." Ludwig sighed. Feliciano leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, much to Eli's unconcealed delight.

"Come on now, you know you're not really mad at me!" he said with an impish grin, tweaking Ludwig's nose. Ludwig mumbled something incomprehensible as a blush slowly rose in his cheeks.

"We four are new here, so we're very glad to meet people so familiar with the school!" Sesel said with a warm smile.

They engaged in quiet banter for the remainder of the assembly, until Principal Beillschmidt gave a terse and annoyed "Dismissed!" at which point the whispers in the auditorium rose to a dull roar. Students got up and stretched, talked amongst themselves, and mobbed in the general direction of the class postings back in the hall, making it impossible for the group to get there.

"Well, it looks like we're going to be stuck here for a few minutes before the crowd clears!" Feliciano said cheerfully, clinging to Ludwig's arm as he stood beside him.

"Fine with me. I'm in no hurry to get to class, that's for sure... Hey, where did your brother go, Feli?" Alfred suddenly noticed the sullen Romano was nowhere to be seen.

"He's probably going to find Antonio and try to get things sorted out. He'll probably come back even grumpier and more flustered than before." Feli replied, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet. "Romano does love to be difficult; he got into a huge fight with Antonio just this morning."

"Oh, so they're kind of like me and Arty, right?" Alfred laughed, nudging Arthur in the ribs. Arthur jumped, as though he hadn't been paying attention at all, hiding his hand again and turning to Alfred.

"Wh-Why did you do that?!" Arthur snapped, nearly winded, rubbing his ribs in agitation. "You really don't know your own strength..."

"Nah, you're just built like a girl." Alfred said, smirking and pinching Arthur's side playfully, causing the Brit to yelp in a rather undignified manner.

"Bloody infant!" Arthur swatted Alfred upside the head in annoyance, though his laughter betrayed him.

"Mother hen!" Alfred quipped back with a smile, causing Arthur to hit him again, harder, and multiple times.

The slip of paper that had floated to the ground, completely forgotten by its previous holder in the sudden scuffle, did not go unnoticed by the American nuisance.

Across the room, just barely fifteen feet down the row of chairs from where the group had devolved into tearing Alfred and Arthur apart before the latter decided to asphyxiate the former, Francis frowned, annoyed beyond measure.

"Merde..." he growled, chin resting in his palm as he stared at Arthur, whose attention was now wholly on Alfred.

And the American bastard knew it, too, if his triumphant smirk in Francis' general direction was any indication.

And he shot him the middle finger over Arthur's shoulder. Brute.

It had been to Francis' advantage that Arthur took a seat on the outer edge of his group. He had managed to catch his eye several times, and had sent him a very eloquent and charming note through the crowd. The shell had just been starting to crack!

That was, until the American idiot had noticed him looking at Arthur and somehow made the connection. He was smarter than he looked, that was for certain.

It was ridiculous! Arthur was just beginning to show signs of softening, even stealing a few furtive, if incredulous, glances at the waiting Frenchman; he was reeling him in perfectly!

"Aargh!" Francis hit his forehead against the empty seat in front of him in frustration.

"Hm. It looks like the American's giving you a run for your money, Francis." Gilbert remarked casually. Even though he'd been trying to avoid staring at Eli and brooding about her bad attitude, he found it hilarious to watch Francis play his favorite game with the other members of her little group; even more hilarious because for once he was _losing_.

Besides, Antonio wasn't around to be melodramatic and depressed about his love life. How else was his awesome self supposed to be entertained?

"Oh, don't worry, I'm not done yet." Francis said with determination, his eyes following the group as they made their way to the hallway, presumably to look at class listings. So this Alfred wanted to play like that, did he? Well, no one challenges Francis Bonnefoy in matters of the heart and comes out unscathed.

**...**

***coughs*  
**

**So... god, this is terribly awkward.  
**

**To all of the people who have read this story and liked it or put it on alert, I apologize.  
**

**To all of the people who reviewed this story and were so encouraging and helpful and courteous... I also apologize.  
**

**Thank you all so much, and I am so, so, SO freaking sorry I took like two years to update this thing. You probably all thought it was a dead fic.  
**

**I swear I had at least ten chapters typed out, but then things came up and...  
**

**Well, you don't want to hear about all that crap! ^7^;;;  
**

**Anyway, please enjoy this chapter! I'm definitely going to be writing regularly now that things have settled down in my life. Expect the next chapter, which is mostly written anyway, by next weekend.  
**

**Not that you have any reason to believe me anymore of course. TT-TT  
**

**If you feel like it, leave a review! I'm glad to be back and I hope you enjoy the story as much as I enjoy writing it for you. :')  
**


	7. Chapter 7

**I still don't own Axis Powers Hetalia~! Please enjoy this chapter!**

Antonio Fernandez Carriedo, the son of a Spanish diplomat and a very popular second year at World Academy, was beginning to think that this could be the worst, most traumatically upsetting day of his life to date. This wasn't an uncommon observation on his part, considering how weepy he tended to be on even the best of days, but this time he swore on his own grandmother's grave that it was true.

"Have you seen Romano? Romano Vargas? He has dark auburn hair, a weird curl… No, no, not Feliciano! He has a scowling face like this?" Antonio was currently pushing through the huge crowd of people looking for his missing roommate, who seemed to have disappeared the second the assembly had finished.

Had it really only been a week since Antonio had met Romano and learned he was going to be his roommate for the year? It felt like it had been ages already; he couldn't remember anyone being more important to him than Romano was right now. How had he never seen him before? They were in the same year, and someone like Romano never would have escaped Antonio's attention if they had ever met.

"This school is too big, that's the reason…" Antonio half-sobbed, giving up his search and slumping against the nearby wall. He looked out of the window and sighed, running his hand through the thick brown locks of hair that had gotten into his eyes. "I guess he r-really hates me…" Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes and he quickly wiped them away with his wrists, though it did little to prevent them from flowing. "What did I do wrong…?"

"Oh my god, isn't that one of the princes?"

"It is! He's crying! What should we do, should we ask if he's alright?"

"No, no, we can't ask him anything! We can't talk to a prince, it's unacceptable!"

He barely registered the group of girls who had just walked past him. This was how it always was: "Oh, we're not worthy to be in the same room as a prince," "Oh, don't touch the prince," or "Oh, don't talk to the prince," or "Oh watch out, he's a prince, they're notorious for this and that," or something similar. Antonio was so, so sick of it. He sometimes regretted his choice of friends; it threw him into this untouchable category, "The Bad Friends", isolated as some sort of heartbreaking, perverted lady-killer. That wasn't him, and had never been him. All he wanted was…

"Hey, idiota." A familiar voice rang out from above him. Antonio looked up in alarm, having just realized he slid down the wall into a sitting position. "Stop with the public pity party already. We get it, you're so popular that it physically hurts." Romano was crouching in front of him, scowling, though something about the scowl looked a bit softer than usual.

"R-Romano? Romano, mi querido, I found you! Or maybe the other way around!" Antonio was suddenly grinning like an idiot, about to launch himself at his roommate for a hug, when Romano put a hand on his chest and pushed him back.  
"Will you stop with the hugging already? How old are you?" he snapped. Antonio's smile dropped. Right, Romano was still angry at him.

"I-I'm sorry…" he said quietly, drawing back from him and feeling the tears coming back up. Romano started in alarm.

"Hey, no, don't start crying again! Christ…" he put a hand over his face with an exasperated sigh. "You're worse than Feli, you know?"

"Why do you even care? You don't want to walk with me, or talk to me, or be anywhere near me anyway!" Antonio finally snapped, looking supremely angry. It was Romano's turn to draw back. "You're just like everyone else in the end, huh? You think you have me figured out! I'm a 'prince', I don't value other people's feelings and I have none of my own, isn't that right? You can say you hate me when I did nothing but try to tell you how much I like you, and that's okay?" Antonio's voice cracked slightly and he fell silent again, sniffling. Romano stared at him for a long moment before sighing and lowering himself from his crouching position to sit down in front of him.

"How can you say embarrassing stuff like that with a straight face? Dio, you piss me off…" Romano said, pushing back his hair from his face and looking at Antonio dead on. "Look, Antonio, I don't… I didn't actually mean what I said this morning, okay? You make me nervous, that's all. No one has ever paid so much attention to me in my _life_, and it's… it's uncomfortable for me." Antonio looked up at him questioningly.

"Uncomfortable? How?"

"W-Well, I'm just not used to the hugging, and the crying, and the constant _feelings _being thrown at me… at least not from people who aren't my brother." Romano gave a small laugh as he listed his complaints. "People only get to know me so they can get to know my grandfather or Feliciano, so…" He finished with a little bitterness and a slight wave of his hand. Antonio caught his wrist.

"Romano, I wouldn't do that! I like you because it's you, and you are adorable!" Antonio chimed. Romano slowly turned red in the face and tried to tug his hand away.

"And again with the touching. I guess none of the rumors are true, then, you really are just a huge, sappy crybaby. I thought it was some sort of act to draw me in." he laughed, and Antonio looked at him thoughtfully for a moment.

"…Was I drawing you in?" he asked carefully.  
"What? W-Why would that matter?" Romano eyed him suspiciously.

"Maybe not _all_ the rumors are untrue…" Antonio said quietly, leaning forward and grinning. "At least, the pleasant ones may not be." He didn't stop until their noses were nearly touching.

Okay, that was _definitely_ within Romano's personal space.

"What the hell are you going on about?!" Romano said, his voice a lot higher-pitched than he intended it to be. Antonio blinked, snorted slightly, and suddenly started to laugh, burying his face in Romano's shoulder to stifle it. "H-Hey, what's so funny?!"

"I was trying something, but I had to stop b-because your face looked like a tomato!" Antonio was laughing hysterically. "So red~…"

THWACK.

"Dio mio, you stupid… I'm going to check the class lists, don't follow me!" Romano shot up and began walking briskly away.

"Ooww, Romano wait! Why did you hit me in the head?" Antonio got up and followed, grinning like he was the happiest person on the planet, even as Romano was still protesting and holding him at arm's length.

Antonio was beginning to think that today wasn't as bad as he had thought.

All he wanted was to be touched, after all.

* * *

"Wow." Alfred said, whistling at the class lists. "Looks like you don't have to call your Gramps after all, Feli." He remarked, reading the names again to be sure of his class.

_**Class A-2: Room 150**_

_**Homeroom: Helena Karpusi, World Literature**_

_Arlovskaya, Natalia_

_Beillschmidt, Ludwig_

_Galante, Raivis_

___Haraldsson, Adam_

_Hassan, Gupta Muhammad_

_Im, Yong Soo_

_Jones, Alfred F._

_Kensington, Giselle_

_Linden, Adelgonde_

_Lorinaitis, Toris_

_Lucasiewicz, Feliks_

_Vargas, Feliciano_

_Von Boch, Eduard_

_Zwingli, Liliane_

Alfred sighed at the last name on the list, hurriedly scrawled in permanent marker, like an afterthought:

**Williams, Matthew**

_That's Mattie for you... late to arrive for the first day of school, AND almost forgotten._

"... Feli, did you text the Superintendent while I wasn't looking?" Ludwig shot a glare at Feliciano, who looked rather scared.

"I swear I didn't do anything! Nonno is still unconscious, isn't he? Don't get mad!" Feliciano protested, clinging to Ludwig's shirt in earnest. The taller boy could do nothing but sigh and shake his head, unable to sustain beyond a few seconds of anger towards the ridiculous, weepy display.

Meanwhile, Arthur and Eli stared at their class list, faces looking deathly pale.

_**Class B-2: Room 210**_

_**Homeroom: Kebi Hassan: World History**_

_Abrahamsen, Niklas_

_Beillschmidt, Gilbert_

_Bonnefoy, Francis_

_Braginski, Ivan_

_Carriedo, Antonio Fernandez_

_Edelstein, Roderich_

_Hedervary, Elizabeta_

_Honda, Kiku_

_Larsen, Axl_

_Linden, Lars_

_Martinez, Cedro_

_Oxenstierna, Berwald_

_Vainomoinen, Tino_

_Vargas, Romano Lovino_

_Zwingli, Vash_

Alfred walked up and slung his arm around Arthur's shoulders as he glanced at the list. "Hey, Artie, Eli _and _Kiku are in your class! At least you'll have people you know now…?" the unobservant Alfred had finally noticed that his friend looked a bit off. "H-Hey Artie? You've got a weird look on your face. Are you okay?" he said with some concern. Arthur blinked and turned slowly to Alfred.

"Me? I'm fine. It's okay, it's fine. I…" he frowned slightly. "I'm going to the toilet now. Be right back." He broke away from Alfred and walked a little too quickly into the nearest boys' restroom.

"Y-You know what? Me too!" Eli laughed nervously, absconding to the girls' lavatory beside it. Sesel and Alfred looked at each other in confusion.

Eli and Arthur simultaneously locked their stall doors and slammed their backs against them with heavy sighs.

"Damn it… why him...?"

**Ta-da~! An update! See, I'm getting better! E-Even if the chapters are getting slower... I swear things will move along next chapter. ^^;;  
I finally got around to a Spamano POV! So exciting! I of course understand why Antonio is lumped in with Francis and Gilbert in the Trio, but he is also by far the most overtly kind, least sneaky, and most monogamous-seeming of the group. Also, Antonio is really weepy, huh? Has anyone noticed how much he cries in the comic proper? I like to think he's just very passionate and emotionally high-strung with extreme highs and lows in his mood.  
Anyway, I wonder if anyone can tell who's who on the lists. A lot of them are my own personal head-canon human names, of course. If you by some miracle manage to find out who's who and figure out that not everyone in APH is on the list, don't fret. Your favorite unlisted nations are definitely around, they're just either in different classes or part of the faculty.  
As always, I thank you for reading and for enduring my babbling here. Please review if you'd like! I always appreciate the feedback!  
**


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